Migraines: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Prevention

A migraine is a very painful type of unilateral headache. A person suffering from migraines usually feel nauseated and feel like vomiting. During a migraine, patients develop high sensitivity towards light and sound, and are extremely irritated. The word migraine has been borrowed from Old French word migraigne. The occurrence depends on a number of factors such as age, gender and type of migraine one suffers from.

Causes
Migraine headaches are known to be caused by changes in the level of serotonin, a brain chemical. High and low serotonin levels affect the blood vessels differently. When they are high, blood vessels constrict, whereas when it falls, the blood vessels tend to swell. Migraines occur when serotonin levels are low. Fluctuation in the serotonin levels also depend on the level of blood sugar, or estrogen in case of women.

Alterations in sleep patterns and insomnia is also known to trigger migraines. Excessive consumption of alcohol and caffeine, and dehydration affect the levels of serotonin. People suffering from physical and emotional stress, and those taking medications to treat it, also suffer from migraine headaches occasionally. For some people, climatic changes, or use of perfumes or any other odor trigger migraines. Food substances that contain tyramine also aggravate the condition in some people.

Symptoms
Migraine symptoms vary depending upon the severity or force it occurs with. In most cases, people get a premonition, some describe it as a signal sent by the body to the brain, hours before they occur. Following is a list of possible migraines symptoms.

• Feelings of intense energy followed by fatigue
• Sweet food cravings
• Intense throbbing or dull pain on one side of head
• Nausea or vomiting, or both
• Irritation with light, sound and odors
• Blurred or spotted vision
• Sleeplessness and anxiety
• Fever with the headache

Prevention
Maintaining a record of when and around what the migraine occurred, will help one recognize a pattern. Once the irritants are identified, they can be easily removed or managed. It is important to stay active by eating healthy food and regularly exercising. Yoga is particularly useful, as it helps to reduce stress levels and induce peaceful sleep. Medical practitioners often prescribe preventive medicines such as beta-blockers, anti-convulsants, or tricyclic anti-depressants.

Treatment
Abortive therapy is form of treatment used to prevent a migraine attack or to stop it once it has started. The most commonly prescribed headache relieving migraine medications are listed below:

• Triptans: Triptans are effective in relieving headaches, and nausea and sensitivity to light
• Ergots: Provide relief, but are considered as less effective than triptans
• Anti-Nausea: It helps to remove the feeling of nausea and at times stops vomiting
• Opiates: Opiates are prescribed for those patients who don't react well to triptans or ergots, but are only prescribed for serious cases as they are highly addictive drugs
• Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID): NSAID painkillers like ibuprofen and aspirin is prescribed to treat mild cases of migraine

Medicines can not only help prevent migraine attacks, but also help relieve symptoms as they happen. Alternative treatments like yoga, meditation, acupuncture, etc have also helped a lot of people to effectively prevent and manage migraines. All migraine reliving medications should be taken only on the doctors advice, after a complete diagnosis on the type and severity of the migraine symptoms.